Tax bill and Waste

If I lived this way, I'd never keep my head above water. The county gets only a 86 cents on my tax dollars to pay for what we need. The other 14 cents of every dollar gets spent on nothing of any value. It is totally wasted -- absolutely nothing is purchased with it.
How? All of that 14 cents goes toward interest payments. I have to admit, I don't live debt free -- I have a mortgage. But I also don't have income that runs to $1.4 billion. In case you are math challenged, 14% of $1.4 billion is $196 million. That is the interest we pay. If we weren't paying that interest, we could pay cash for many of the things we presently put out on bonds, and then pay 3 times as much to buy (remember the figures for how much you would pay over the life of your mortgage loan?)

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4 Comments

MARJORIE said:

SO BRIAN,

WHATS THE SOLUTION TO THE 14% TAX WASTE? MOST CITIZENS DO NOT TAKE AN INTEREST ON HOW THE COUNTY SPENDS IT'S BUDGET AND WHAT THEY SPEND IT ON. THE TAXES GO UP, PEOPLE GRIPE WHERE'S IT GO.

MOST THE TIME IT'S ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL,

ONE SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR THE COUNTY TO SELL ANY UN-USED LAND PURCHASED FOR SOMETHING THEN NOT USED. I WOULD ALSO ELEMINATE ALL PROGRAMS SERVICING ILLEGALS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, SCHOOLS, MEDICARE, MEDICADE, FOOD STAMPS, HOUSING ETC. THE MONIES SPENT IN THIS AREA IS ENORMOUS.

NEXT I WOULD NOTIFY BUSINESSES THAT HIRE ILLEGALS THAT THEY WILL BE FINED FOR HIRING THEM. LARGE FINES.TOO HARSH YOU THINK, THINK OF IT THIS WAY: WHEN AN EMPLOYER HIRES AN ILLEGAL AND TAXES ARE NOT BEING PAID BY THE EMPLOYER THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE COUNTY AND THE PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

NO NOT TOO HARSH IN MY BOOK. THE ONLY ADVANTAGE IS TO THE GUY HIRING, NO EMPLOYEE TAXES, NO MEDICAL EXPENESES, NO DENTAL ETC...ALL THAT MONEY IN HIS PROFIT POCKET.

ASIDE FROM ALL THAT, BETTER ACCOUNTING PRACTICES WOULD HELP, NOT GIVING OUT CREDIT CARDS TO EVERY TOM, DICK AND HARRY EMPLOYEE. HAVE ONE OR TWO CARDS, HAVE A SIGN IN/OUT BOOK, HAND IN RECEIPTS DAILY AND A LOG BOOK FOR WHAT WAS SPENT, WHY IT WAS NEEDED, WHERE AND BY WHOM. SIGNED BY EMPLOYEE USING THE CARD.(IE: INTERST PAID ON CARD FOR PERSONAL USE.
(RE: EMPLOYEE THEFT)

ALL IN ALL, BETTER MANAGEMENT IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WOULD GO A LONG WAY.

MY POINT TO ALL THIS,THE 14% WASTE COULD BE REDUCED IF LOUDOUN COUNTY BUCKLED DOWN. REDIRECTED THE BUDGET TO BENEFIT THE CITIZENS OF LOUDOUN COUNTY.

BY REDUCING WASTED SPENDING THE COUNTY CAN PAY DOWN OR REFINANCE BONDS FOR A LOWER INTEREST RATE.

BUT I CAN SEE YOUR POINT, THE CITIZENS OF LOUDOUN COUNTY NEED TO SPEAK UP AND VOICE HOW THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING YOUR TAX DOLLAR. IF YOU DO NOT THEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO SPEND, SPEND, SPEND.

ONE MORE THING, ONCE THE BOND IS APPROVED, WHO REGULATES HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT. ASK YOURSELF THIS:WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO WHEN THE BONDS ALREADY APPROVED RUN OUT OF MONEY AND THEY ARE ASKING FOR ANOTHER BOND TO FINISH A PROJECT, AS AN EXAMPLE: ROAD REPAIR AND CONSTRUCTION?

Brian,
If you look at all the bond issues over the last 20 years, you will see that most are for schools. I remember when we used to "donate" to fund the fire/ems services. We are growing and they are taxing to support these services. What they don't realize is that "bonding" for the future costs more than "taxing" today and re-adjusting anually. They always scare us with this line; "if you don't approve by bond, we WILL have to find other sourcing, including taxes!" What the citizens of Loudoun don't understand is that we carry that debt service for up to 20 years on these projects.

The county would rather you accept bonds than question taxation. When you question taxes, then they need to justify it and can be held accountable for follie. Who really pays attention to debt servicing. Forget credit. Like I tell the kids. If you don't have the money in the bank to cover the charge on the card, DON'T go into debt. Your giving away your hard earned cash freely to someone else. I know I don't have that kind of money to throw around. Do you?